REVIEW OF THE CANADIAN HIGHWAY SYSTEMS STUDY

With the exception of the Alaska Highway and the Trans- Canada Highway, the planning and construction of highways in Canada have been predominantly the responsibility of the provincial governments. Inasmuch as decisions regarding highways on the federal level are made on an ad hoc basis, the Cabinet asked for a proposed policy to guide federal spending. This became one of the objectives of the Canadian Highway Systems Study; the other was the definition of a national highway network to orient federal involvmeent in highways. The study provided an overview of the elements that make up the total transportation system, a definition of the National Highway System as defined by the provinces, and an indication of the 1982 system. As a result of the study, 2 basic options are available; (a) Define and develop a primary highway system based on the Trans-Canada Highway and comparable to the U.S. Interstate System or (b) view federal highway programs as supporting other federal goals and objectives. For either option, the study proved valuable by permitting the provinces to know the federal approach to highways, to accept the need for federal presence in developing the Canadian Highway System, and to accept the legitimacy of federal involvement in highways. /Author/